Posts by Angus Robertson

Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First

  • Hard News: The March for Democracy,

    Yes, I know that's a reductio ad absurdum with a heavy emphasis on the absurdum, but you don't have to reach for the F-bomb to find it a form of populist demagogy that would be hellishly sinister if I thought anyone involved had really thought it through.

    Sinister is perhaps a stretch, its just another form of government.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Up Front: I'll Take Actium and Trafalgar,

    What all this brings home to me is that I have the option. I can choose not to fight, because I’m safe. I’m privileged.

    Sure hope you are right, because all other things aside Beenie Man has just been afforded the type of publicity money can't buy. He is officially Mr Ojectionality 2009 for "responsible NZers" and that shit sells. Like Bob Marley and Ice T before him he is highly establishment averse.

    I have never heard his music, but if he is anything like good then he is going to make fans of any number of treenage people who feel generally unsympathetic to "responsible NZers". I still remember getting together with my mates to listen to some Body Count.

    The answer to speech we disagree with is more speech, not less.

    I/S is correct

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Happy Now?,

    But I've been really busy today so I'm only going to be able to give you a quick run down of the rugby…

    Watched in a pub, a few ales after the All Whites incredible triumph, where the bar staff had kindly (for backpacking poms from a hostel) switched half the screens to show the England v. Argie game. Was sloshed, but damn it was hard to tell those two games apart.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Happy Now?,

    Well what happened when we went there this year?

    Reckon the All Whites are playing better now.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Speaker: ACTA: Don't sell us down the river,

    And it can be the only explanation for those who show contempt for ordinary Internet users - most New Zealanders - by tolerating a process aimed at legislating away their rights.

    It would be in our national interest to support such a treaty.

    There is now no cost to distributing information. That's not rhetoric - it's an indisputable fact.

    Globally speaking rich folks are getting together to put costs on distributing information. It benefits the rich to make everyone pay a flat marginal fee on neccessary goods. Its like a poll tax or a VAT, equally applied to everyone it disadvantages those who can least afford it and benefits those who can most afford it. Net affect of this in a global treaty is the poor world pays the rich world. NZ is part of the rich world, NZ would benefit and the economy is of highest importance.

    How dare they take more notice of secret overseas treaty negotiations and industry lobbyists than they do of their constituents?

    Because it benefits our rich world selves, to do so. Next thing you know our self same plutocracies could be getting together and asking the world to pay a flat fee on the right to breathe. Which they are in Copenhagen, right now.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Like a punch in the face,

    The end of communism, not PPV, killed boxing. Before the Wall came down Americans were the best boxers in the world, but now the competition is between the Ukraine and Russia. Americans only watch stuff they win at, they don't watch boxing and prefer Nascar, NFL, Baseball and WWE.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Speaker: How to Look Good as a Nazi,

    Or you forget that it could happen again.

    It is happening in the scrubland of western Sudan and hills of Burma.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Up Front: Get Your Hand Off It,

    Fletcher: you're right - and sending your newspapers to the tip rather than recycling them means more trees will be grown and more carbon pulled out of the atmosphere

    Yes, but it takes a lot more energy to transform wood into paper products than paper into recycled paper and land fill material is subject to anaerobic decay producing methane.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Speaker: How to Look Good as a Nazi,

    Clearly the "funny" part is the transgressive pleasure of burlesquing a tragic event.

    Genocide is not a tragic event.

    Genocide is not an unvoidable or accidental occurance in which people are blameless. Genocide results from evil, stupid, thick headed, idiotic, vain glorious, but very human causes. These aspects of humanity should be ridiculed and laughed at as frequently as possible, so good on the Lincoln students.

    For the Germans (like the author of the article) to get parties devoted to them that do not involve the Nazis they are going to have to develop a national aspect even more monumentally stupid than the Nazi party. I sincerely hope they don't ever achieve this.

    Meanwhile the genocide in Darfur continues, not that it makes the news much now that the death toll has dipped under 50,000 per annum.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Field Theory: Wait for it...,

    On this basis I recommend that the sport do away with the goals all together if the setup is so beautiful.

    By keeping the goals they also manage to attract another sort of fan, those who by some defect are incapable of appreciating beauty of the game or simply unwilling to let it exist unsullied. People who exist solely to win, valuing acrobatic dives and long ball hacks. And there sure are a lot of them to be found.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

Last ←Newer Page 1 44 45 46 47 48 99 Older→ First